


The Power of Emotions

by PB1248



Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: StonegrotWeek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 00:03:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20787269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PB1248/pseuds/PB1248
Summary: Rian finally catches up to Deet after she was consumed by the darkening. Both are relieved to see each other again, though the darkening still poses a threat to them both.





	The Power of Emotions

Deet sat on the dead forest floor, tracing the purple veins along her wrist, and up her fingers. Her body ached as if every muscle was sore. Her mind was clouded. Every thought took great effort to create. The darkening seemed to have magnified her negative emotions. **Anger**, **Despair**, and **Loneliness** battled for attention within her heart. So many emotions, it made it difficult to focus. This must have been what drove the nurlocs insane. They had become mindlessly violent, and yet, Deet felt no urge to act upon her feelings. Instead, they paralyzed her. Leaving her confused and **Distraught**. Her muddled mind unable to comprehend so much at a time.

maybe the power entrusted to her by the sanctuary tree was what kept her sane. Or was it a side effect of her higher intelligence? She had never seen a darkened gelfling, podling, or arathim before. Perhaps without the power of the sanctuary tree, it wasn’t even possible for more intelligent creatures to be darkened.

All these thoughts drifted through Deet’s mind. As if meditating, she seemed to passively grasp them, then lose them again. The true significance of the thoughts never quite reaching her.

A branch broke behind her. Deet barely registered the noise.

“Deet?” came a soft, kind voice behind her. A voice she recognized.

Deet did not stir, but her brow furrowed slightly as she tried to recall the owner of the voice. It seemed profoundly important, but she did not remember why. **Frustration** bubbled to the surface.

“Deet…” there was concern in his voice.

Deet didn’t hear the tone, or even the word anymore, only that a noise had interrupted her thoughts. Like a flipped switch, **ANGER** flared up inside her. She turned towards the noise. Utter **RAGE** expressed on her purple veined face, lips curled back in a snarl. Purple sparks flew from her cupped hand as she readied to fling the darkening on the intruder.

“Ah!” Rian fell backwards in surprise, and fear. He did not wish to admit it, but it _was _fear he felt as he looked upon Deet’s contorted face. _His_ Deet could never have made such a face.

Deet froze just before unleashing the darkening upon him. The sparks died and the purple drained from her eyes. Even the veins on her face seemed to fade a bit. Her eyes were locked on his, wide and black. She panted slightly.

“Rian!” she gasped, more to herself than to him.

Rian scrambled forwards. “Deet!” He exclaimed. He crouched down in front of her. “It’s ok! I’m here! Everything is going to be ok.” He soothed, gingerly rubbing her shoulder. His fear from a moment ago all but vanished.

Deet continued to stare into his eyes. A beautiful mix of gold and blue, cloaked by low lids. He held a familiar expression on his face, one that she had only ever seen him use when he was looking at her.

“What happened?” she asked, as her thoughts came back within reach. His presence seemed to help somehow. The heat of her emotions died down to a simmer.

“The darkening,” Rian started, his eyes growing wide with concern, “It consumed you.”

The darkening! Deet remembered. Only then did she notice Rian’s hand on her shoulder.

“No!” she gasped, falling back onto her hands to get away from him. They had been sitting so close, she realized.

“Deet! It’s ok!” Rian exclaimed, leaning over her. He grabbed one of Deet’s hands and thrust it in front of her face. “Look!”

Deet examined her hand, sitting back up as she noticed the purple veins, which were only barely visible.

“It’s still too dangerous.” she said, looking again into Rian’s endless hazel eyes. “It could come back.” Her words were spoken only half-heartedly.

They still sat so close together. His warm breath lifted the hair around her face as he breathed. His hand held hers in her lap. Her skin crawled at the thought of spreading the darkening to him, but there was something else too. A longing that seemed to quell the writhing emotions that fought for control. She found it impossible to pull away from him again. She knew it was selfish, but she couldn’t help it.

Rian wrapped his arms around her and buried his head in her shoulder. “Please, Deet.” His whisper was barely audible, even with him so close to her. Deet sat stiff in his arms, unsure what to do. “let me help you.” His voice shook as he spoke.

Suddenly she found herself in a flood of memories that were not her own. They were dreamfasting, but neither of them had meant to do so. Rian’s emotions, and their closeness, had started it all on its own. Deet saw a flash of Mira’s face, illuminated by the crystal’s light. Rian had felt paralyzed by uncertainty and fear. Then she heard Gurjin’s yells as Rian fled through the castle window. Then His father, consumed by gobbles as he watched, unable to help him. Then Brea, stolen away by the Hunter as Rian looked on, helpless. Finally, Deet saw her own face, covered in a maze of purple veins. Her eyes purple and seemingly soulless as Rian peered into them. 

Rian felt such shame during these memories. with every failed attempt to save someone he loved, a piece of his heart broke away. But not this time, he had thought. He would not run away! He would not sit still! He would act.

This was something private, Deet realized. A defining piece of himself. Without even consciously deciding, she shared some of her own memories. It seemed only fair that he see a piece of her as well.

She showed him the moment when he had asked her about returning to the caves of Grot, when everything was over. Rian sensed the flutters in her chest as he’d touched her, as if they were his own. But a pulsing sensation in Deet’s hands caused her to pull away. He saw the purple veins writhing under her skin. Then Deet showed him the twisting memories of being consumed by the darkening. They all tangled together, indecipherable. For the first time, Deet questioned how long she had actually been wondering these woods. Whether it had been minutes, or unums, she could not say. Finally, she showed him how her emotions had calmed when she saw him. How she had become herself again.

The dreamfast ended as quickly as it had begun. No more words needed to be said. Rian needed her almost as much as she needed him. Deet collapsed into his embrace, tears flowing freely between them. They sat that way for a long while. Breathing in each other’s scents. Feeling each other’s hearts beat together as one.

After a time, their tears dried and their breathing calmed. Rian let out a deep sigh, content to have found his sweet Grottan girl after searching for so long, and to have convinced her to stay with him. He knew then he would not rest until he had cured her. No matter the cost.

Deet glanced up at him. “What now?” she asked.

“I don’t know…” Rian admitted. “There must be something we can do.” He’d thought for a long time over this very question, but it had always been a problem for after he found her, not before. “Perhaps we could go to the castle, steal the staff that the Emperor used. Reverse its effects.” Rian pondered. “Or we could find another great tree. The one that gave you these powers mentioned other trees right? Maybe a different one could heal you!”

Deet knew that these ideas were a long shot. Going to the castle was too dangerous, and they had no idea where to find another great tree, let alone if any others still existed. Rian seemed to notice the doubt in her eyes.

“We’ll think of something.” He said, squeezing her hand. “I have hope.” He gave a mischievous smirk at that. He hoped to save Deet, of course. But their dreamfast had confirmed his hopes of something more between them as well. He had been so conflicted about how he should be feeling while he was searching for her. But now he knew she felt the same, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Deet’s black eyes narrowed and her ears went back as she studied his expression. What was he thinking? “Rian?” she asked questioningly. Suddenly Rian wrapped his arms around her and lifted her into the air. Deet squealed in surprise, then delight as Rian twirled her in a circle. She extended her wings as they laughed, letting the air whistle through them. He set her gently on her feet again.

Deet grinned broadly, the darkening all but forgotten. “I’m just so glad that you’re ok!” He exclaimed. He had that look on his face again. The one she’d seen before when she had caught him staring at her. His hands lingered on her hips. She leaned into him, her hands resting on his chest.

Deet let out a great sigh, she had missed him so much. She noticed that Rian was no longer staring at her eyes, but lower, at her lips. Rian mimicked her sigh as he leaned in and closed his eyes. Deet’s heart fluttered, but she did not pull away, not this time. She closed her eyes just as his lips met hers. Deet gave a shudder at the touch. Far too soon, Rian was pulling away.

“Oh Deet,” Rian sighed. Before he had even finished speaking, Deet gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled him in for another kiss. Rian chuckled, and obliged. He wrapped his arms tighter around her back. Deet left one hand on his chest, while caressing the back of his neck with the other. The whole world seemed to fall away around them as they kissed. Nothing seemed to matter anymore, nothing but each other.

When they finally pulled away, both were panting. They rested their forehead’s together for a moment, their eyes still closed, holding on to the moment in their minds. Deet brought her head down to rest her on Rian’s chest. “I missed you,” she sighed. Rian lowered his face to Deet’s head, breathing in the earthy (thra-y?) scent of her hair. “I missed you too, Deet.” They swayed slightly as they embraced. Surrounded by dead grass and dying trees. Neither seemed to notice, or mind.

Eventually, Rian stopped swaying. Deet stifled a yawn. How long had it been since she’d slept? “Perhaps we should set up camp for the night.” Deet mused, still resting against his chest. “See what solutions the morning offers.”

Deet felt Rian’s left hand fall away from her, but otherwise he did not stir. “Rian?” Deet looked up to see emotionless purple eyes staring back.

Deet yelped as she felt a sudden pain shoot through her upper right arm. She stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. She looked up in horror as she took in Rian’s darkened form. His head was down and tilted slightly. His hair hung around his face, framing his sharp features, and purple eyes. A knife was held aloft in his left hand. Pink blood dripped from the tip of the blade. Deet looked at her shoulder and saw a great gash in her arm. She covered the wound with her left hand to try to stop the pink stream that bled from it.

She looked back up at Rian, who had not moved. “Rian?” she whimpered, her voice shook.

Rian turned his head slowly, and fixed his empty gaze upon her. His brow furrowed as he lifted the knife high above his head. Screaming, he charged towards her.

“No!” Deet shrieked. She fell onto her back as she flung her hands in front of her. Her hands glowed blue for a moment, then purple as she began to drain the darkening from him. Rian stopped just in front of her. His expression went lax as the purple faded from his eyes, his knife fell to the ground. Deet watched her own skin erupt with purple veins as the last of the tendrils entered her outstretched hands.

Rian gasped and fell to the ground in front of her, one arm supported him while the other clutched his chest. “Deet,” He groaned, “what happened?”. As his vision cleared, he noticed a bloody knife on the ground in front of him. Perplexed, he looked up to where Deet lay.

She was breathing hard. Purple veins made great patterns all across her face. Her eyes were purple too, but filled with **Fear** instead of the usual nothingness. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her left hand clutched at a gaping cut on her arm. Pink blood bubbled up between her fingers. “Deet?” Rian asked quietly. His mind was putting together the puzzle, but he didn’t want it to be true.

Without warning Deet rose and ran. “Deet wait!” Rian yelled, scrambling to his feet. He felt groggy and sluggish. “Deet!” he blundered after her. He had been raised as a soldier, if not for his unwilling body, he would have caught up to her already. Branches tore at his face as he ran through the trees.

“I’m sorry!” Deet sobbed from ahead. He reached the clearing just in time to see her purple veined wings unfolding.

“No!” Rian screamed, He couldn’t lose her, not again, not like this. He barreled towards her, but he was too late. Her wings fluttered to life and lifted her from the ground. “Deet!”

Rian’s screams faded away as Deet flew. She was sobbing hard, still clutching her bleeding arm. She thought back to their dreamfast. She knew that with this loss, his heart would shatter. And it would be all her fault. But she saw no other choice.

When she was satisfied she was far enough away, she found a large tree and landed on one of its branches. Deet clutched the tree’s thick trunk for support as tears fell from her face, wetting the already withering wood. **Despair **welled up inside her as she watched the bark shrivel and die at her touch. It wasn’t fair! She thought. “No!” Deet screamed at the top of her lungs. The darkening exploded from her small body. Purple electricity darted in all directions, killing everything it touched. Some birds alarm called nearby, taking flight to escape the carnage.

Exhausted, Deet collapsed into the tree, sobbing as she allowed the **Despair** to take her.

**Author's Note:**

> I love Deet, and I love to think about how the darkening would weigh on her, being such a gentle spirit and all. This is my first fanfic ever so hopefully it isn’t too rough. I hope you guys like it, and let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions.  
Also, I know that the first darkened creature of the show was an arathim from the Scientist’s lab, but Rian didn’t seem to know this when he was hunting it, so I am assuming that Deet doesn’t know this either.


End file.
